Friday, 8 February 2008

The South Australian government has launched a graphic new advertising campaign that hopes will shock viewers into wearing a seatbelt.

Since 2002, 149 people have died on SA roads because they were not buckled up, 18 of them last year alone.

Road safety minister Carmel Zillo says she hopes the ads will turn that figure around.

"Too many people are dying on our roads because they are not wearing a seatbelt at the time of a crash," she said.

"We know seatbelts save lives. A rear seat car passenger has a 10 times greater chance of surviving a casualty crash by wearing a seatbelt."

The minister said the ads were designed to deliver a strong message.

"In the television commercial, a teenager is ultimately responsible for the death of his mother, simply because he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt," she said.

"Seated behind his mother who is driving, the teenager slams into his mother’s head."

Motor Accident Commission corporate affairs manager Ben Tuffnell said the campaign dispelled popular myths about wearing seatbelts.

“Our market research has identified that South Australians tend to believe they will only injure themselves if they choose not to wear a seatbelt," he said.

"Our campaign dispels this myth."

“Seatbelts protect everyone in the car. Without a seatbelt, you are a potential human missile and can seriously injure or kill others in the car.”

South Australia will make it mandatory to wear seatbelts from March 1. Under the new law, drivers will be responsible for ensuring their adult passengers are restrained.

Both the driver and passengers aged over 16 will be fined if they are found breaking the rules.